BBQ Ribs

 I am getting ready for Charlies birthday party.  He wants me to do Korean BBQ but also asked for something from the smoker to go with it.  I haven't done much BBQ so far this year and decided to some ribs to get back in practice a little and to make some stuff ahead, like coleslaw and beans.

Competition Ribs 

1 C. Cool Smoke Rub

2 racks St. Louis cut spareribs, membrane removed

1 /2 C. apple juice in spray bottle

1 C. Cool smoke BBQ sauce Smoked Chili Powder

1/2 C. honey, divided 1/4 & 1/4

2 tsp. cider vinegar 1 C. smoked paprika

8 T (1 stick) butter, melted 4 T.+ 1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

1/4 C. packed light brown sugar 3 T + 1 tsp. ground cumin

3T +1 tsp. gran. garlic

Cool Smoke BBQ Sauce 3T+ 1 tsp. cayenne

2T. granulated onion

3 C. ketchup

1 C. packed dark brown sugar Cool Smoke Rub

3/4 C. white vinegar

1/4 C. Molasses 1/2 C. Turbino Sugar

3 T. Worcestershire sauce 1/4 C. smoked chili powder recipe above

1 T. smoked chili powder (p 50) 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1 T. + 1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 T. smoked paprika 1/4 C. +2 T. kosher salt

1 T. sweet paprika 2 T. + 2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. granulated onion 1T. + 1 tsp. cracked black pepper

2 tsp. granulated garlic 1T.+ 1 tsp. granulated onion

2tsp. cayenne

1 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 C. apple cider vinegar

& 1/4 C. Honey

Sprinkle rub on ribs (1/4 C. peer side) Let sit 1 hour before putting in smoker.

Heat smoker to 275.  Smoke 2 hours, meat side up, spraying with apple juice every 30 min.  

Drizzle with  1 stick butter &1/4 C. honey & brown sugar. Wrap smoker to 203º to 211º  

Unwrap brush with cool smoke sauce & heat to set sauce 15 min. Watch closely to keep from burning or overset the sauce. Serve with sauce on the side.

BBQ beans 

    GATES BAKED BEANS 

    2 (55 OZ) cans baked beans 

    1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar 

    1/2 c. molasses 

    3 tbsp. rub seasoning 

    3/4 c. bbq sauce 

    1 tsp. liquid smoke 

    1c. beef drippings 

    1c. brisket fat 

    Combine all ingredients in a cast iron kettle and about 20 minutes before the 

    ribs are done, place over hot coals and cook, stirring occasionally until a "crust"

    forms on the top.

TANGY COLESLAW VINIAGRETTE

1 head green cabbage

1 large green pepper

1 med. Spanish onion

1 C. cherry tomatoes

1 C. sugar

1 tsp. dry mustard

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. celery seed

1 T. salt

1 C. white vinegar

3/4 C. vegetable oil

I added some carrot

1. Rinse cabbage, remove dark, touth outer eaves.  Cut cabbage in half, quarter, core and shred.  Should make 10 cups. 

2. Cut green pepper into rings, removing seeds and white membrane.  Slice onion, separate into rings. Cut cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise.  Cover and chill until ready to use. ( I am going to use uncut grape tomatoes and may toss in some Clementine sections too)

3. In a large bowl (I am going to be running out of large bowls) alternately layer half of the cabbage, 1/2 of the onions. 1/2 of the peppers, Repeat. sprinkle with 1 C. sugar

4. In a small saucepan, combine mustard with 2 tsp. sugar, the celery seed, salt and vinegar, and oil.  Mix well, bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Pour hot over vegetables in bowl.

5. Cover coleslaw tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours or longer so that the vegetable mixture can marinate.  Toss the vegetables several times so they all have a chance to absorb the dressing

6. To serve: Uncover the coleslaw and add the cherry tomatoe halves.  Toss very gently until vegetables are well coated with dressing.   Arrange in serving bowl or platter and 

New discovery for Country Fried Steak

Charlie found a cookbook that had recipes for school cafeterias.  I had found a recipe that Charlie said had the right taste but something was keeping it from being perfect.  The school cookbook had a recipe for Country Fried Steak and the final piece fell into place. instead of having  a tough cut of beef that had been tenderized, they used hamburger meat, It was seasoned with salt, pepper, granulated onions and ssome flour. Then it was made into a giant patty big enough to cover a sheet pan and baked before being cut into individual servings.  We are experimenting with that now. I think the final step is to find out the right thickness of the meat.

So this is the recipe made with hamburger patties that have first been seasoned with flour, salt, pepper and dehydrated onions.  Then they are treated as the steak mentioned in the recipe below.

Chicken Fried Steak recipe from Threadgills - 

    

              Recipe By : Threadgill's - The Cookbook ISBN 1-56352-277-2 

    1/2 cup kosher salt 

    4 tablespoons black pepper 

    2 tablespoons white pepper 

    1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 

    2 tablespoons granulated onion 

    1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 

    4 tablespoons granulated garlic 

    2 tablespoons paprika 

    Mix ingredients well. Store in a glass jar or plastic container. Keep tightly

    sealed. Shake before each use to prevent settling. 

    8 6 ounce tenderized beef cutlets -- at room temperature 

    2 eggs 

    2 cups milk -- at room temperature 

    3 cups flour 

    2 teaspoons Threadgill's Meat Seasoning 

    2 cups frying oil -- preferably canola 

    Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl and set this egg wash aside. Combine

    the flour and meat seasoning in another bowl and set aside. Heat the oil in a

    heavy 14-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Use a 550

    degree thermometer to check temperature. The oil should pop loudly when a

    drop of egg wash is dropped in. 

    Dip each of the first 4 cutlets in the egg wash mixture. Dredge them in the flour,

    then dip them back into the egg wash, and very gently place them in the hot oil.

    As you carry them one at a time from the egg wash to the skillet, hold a plate

    under them to catch the dripping egg wash. There'll be a regular explosion of

    noisy oil a-popping. 

    Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until breading is set and golden brown. Gently turn

    them with a long-handled meat fork or long metal tongs. Be careful. Cook

    another 3 minutes. 

    Carefully remove them from the skillet and drain on a platter lined with paper

    towels. Let oil reheat and repeat process for other 4 cutlets. 

    Serve with White Cream Gravy and Mashed Potatoes. 

 

Smoked Chicken

I

I haven't done much in the Smoker this summer. I feel like I want to develop new recipes. I gave chicken a go and have  some ideas for directions to go with it. This one was just split and seasoned with a rub, sprayed with oil to crisp the skin an hour before it was done.  It took two hours in all.   

Smoking Chicken Suggestions

If brining, use water, salt and brown sugar. Aromatics that could be added:  sliced oranges, peppercorns, rosemary, lemon juice, hot sauce and poultry seasoning.  

Chicken Brine recipe 1

2 C. water

1 C. kosher salt

1/2 C. sugar

1 T. black peppercorns

2 cl. garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

Substitutions or additions:  Apple juice, smoked cider, lager beer, lemon juice, BBQ seasoning, thyme  rosemary, garlic.

Bring ingredients to boil to dissolve and diffuse flavors. Cool to room temperature, add chicken & refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 -24 hours. Pat dry, add desired seasonings.

Chicken Brine recipe 2  makes 3 12 qts.

3 quarts water

1 C. + 1T kosher salt Stir water, salt & pepper until mostly dissolved

1/2 C sugar Add rest of ingredients and refrigerate24-48 hours.

1 lar. carrot coarsely chopped

1 celery stalk, coarse chop .   Strain before using

1/4 med. yellow onion coarse chop

1/2 bunch fresh thyme

1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, torn in half

1 or 2 bay leaves

1 T whole black peppe corns

Dry rub will enhance flavor and create a delicious crust.  Popular rubs include garlic powder, onion powder, smoked or regular paprika, chili powder,  kosher salt,  black pepper, oregano, cayenne powder, cumin, brown sugar and thyme. Season lightly with rub.  Rub made for pork is also good with chicken.

Tying whole chicken with help it cook evenly.  You can smoke whole, half or individual chicken pieces.  Use halved chickens for more even cooking.   Cook time - depending  on smoking to temperature with thermometer is best but time guide is  whole @ 225  can take 3-4 hours.  breasts may be done in 45-90 minutes 

Smoke at 225-275 but is OK to go to 325-350. Use Apple or cherry wood  for milder, sweeter flavors or for more robust flavor use hickory.  Oak is a very versatile wood for smoking.

After an hour in the smoker, spray with fat (duck fat is good) to help it get a nice crispness.  Cook for another half hour.  Adding fat too soon can cause the skin to burn.

Let cooked meat rest for 10-20 minutes before cutting.

When cooking chicken by individual pieces, cook breasts to 165, dark meat to 175

Steak Kabobs

 

Charlie wondered if we could have chislic today.  I said that would entail getting some lamb and the only place I know that has it are the Mexican groceries and they only sell it by the quarter, like a whole leg or shoulder and it would be frozen.  So he said how about some marinaded steak then.  I said I saw a Kabob recipe a few days ago that was grilled and basted with a compound butter. That is what we decided to do.  The recipe is just for the meat. I added the vegetables and cooked them on the gas grill for 30 minutes and the steak in the smoker firebox for about ten minutes over charcoal.  Charlie really liked it and wondered of it was an Asian recipe.  I didn't know.  He looked at the recipe and the last line identified it as coming from a Viet Phu Inc. cookbook.  That is  the Red Boat Fish Sauce company in California. 

Steak Kebabs with Fish Sauce Butter

A sizzling finish of fish sauce–infused compound butter melts over juicy steak, adding depth, salt, and fresh-herb flavor to this summer grilling favorite.

By Cường Phạm Published on June 11, 2025Active Time: 1 hrTotal Time: 2 hrs 30 mins 

Servings: 6

Ingredients

Red Boat Butter

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 4 large cloves)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot (about 1 small shallot)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce (preferably Red Boat)S
• 1/2 teaspoon Maggi seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Steak Kebabs

• 2 1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak (1 to 1 1/2 inches thick), cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil (such as canola oil), plus more for grilling

Directions

1. Red Boat butter
   Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over low. Add garlic and shallot; cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not browned, about 10 minutes.
   
   
2. Stir fish sauce, Maggi seasoning, and rice wine vinegar into saucepan. Cook over low until mixture is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat, and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
   
3. Stir together cooled fish sauce mixture, basil, cilantro, lemon zest, and remaining 7/8 cup butter; transfer mixture to center of an 11-inch square of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Roll into a tight 8- x 1 1/2-inch log, twisting both ends of the wrap to seal and compact the log; chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.
   
4. steak kebabs
   Preheat grill to medium-high (400°F to 450°F). Pat steak cubes dry; toss together with salt and oil in a large bowl until evenly coated. Thread steak onto 6 (12-inch) metal skewers. (Pieces should be lightly touching.) Microwave 3 tablespoons Red Boat butter in a small bowl on high until melted. Place steak on oiled grates, and grill, uncovered, turning occasionally, until seared on all sides and a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of steak registers 125°F to 130°F (medium-rare), about 8 minutes, basting with the melted butter during final 2 minutes of grilling.
   
5. Transfer skewers to a platter. Sprinkle with additional salt to taste, and top with pats of Red Boat butter. (Reserve any remaining Red Boat butter for another use.)
   
   

From The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook by Cường Phạm Copyright © 2021 by Viet Phu Inc. Reprinted by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers